Water company Catchment Management Schemes

Water company Catchment Management Schemes

These schemes were highlighted by many interview respondents and have been used as case studies in various reports in the last couple of decades. Working with farmers and landowners, these aim to reduce diffuse and point source pollution, thus reducing the cost of water treatment (both monetary and environmental) and improving wildlife habitats. For example, United Utilities and partners have worked with farmers on their Sustainable Catchment Management Programme (SCaMP) to reduce grazing and restore peatlands to reduce soil run-off into water sources. Started in the mid 2000’s they have been important in generating evidence and levering further work. These schemes provided evidence to Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate of the direct benefit to customers of water companies making such investment. For example, Wessex Water estimated as a result of implementing catchment management schemes, it is spending – on average – one-sixth of the cost that would be required for engineered solutions. As a result, catchment management schemes are increasingly employed by water companies. More could be done to improve the evidence base, as is being done by South West Water collaborating with Essex University to better assess the impact of their Upstream Thinking interventions.

“The greatest successes I have seen are where a problem has been identified well, then the relevant people being brought together to come behind a vision for what it is needed and what success really looks like.” James Robinson, Director of Conservation, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust